Amadeus Page #35

MOZART:

Thank you! Oh, thank you.

He kisses Salieri's hand.

SALIERI:

(withdrawing it;

imitating the Emperor)

No, no, no, Herr Mozart, please.

It's not a holy relic.

Mozart giggles with relief and gratitude.

INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823

OLD SALIERI:

I'm sure I don't need to tell you I

said nothing whatever to the Emperor.

I went to the theatre ready to tell

Mozart that His Majesty had flown

into a rage when I mentioned the

ballet, when suddenly, to my

astonishment, in the middle of the

third act, the Emperor - who never

attended rehearsals - suddenly

appeared.

INT. OPERA HOUSE - DAY - 1780'S

In the background the same recitativo before the March. The

Emperor steals in surreptitiously with Von Strack, his finger

to his lips. He motions everyone not to rise, and slips into

a chair behind Salieri, Orsini-Rosenberg and Bonno.

The three conspirators look at each other wide-eyed.

The recitativo summons up the march, but instead there is

silence. Mozart lays down his baton. The musicians lay down

their instruments. The celebrants of Figaro's wedding come

in with a few pitiful dance steps, in procession, only to

come presently to a halt, lacking their music. The singers

try to go on singing, but they have no cues from their

conductor or from the accompaniment. Everyone on stage looks

lost, though they attempt to go on with the story for a while.

Consternation grows on the faces of the conspirators. Mozart

glances back at the group seated in the theatre. Finally,

the Emperor speaks, in a whisper.

JOSEPH:

What is this? I don't understand.

Is it modern?

BONNO:

Majesty, the Herr Director, he has

removed a balleto that would have

occurred at this place.

JOSEPH:

Why?

ORSINI-ROSENBERG

It is your regulation, Sire. No ballet

in your opera.

Mozart strains to hear what they are saying but cannot.

JOSEPH:

Do you like this, Salieri?

SALIERI:

It is not a question of liking, Your

Majesty. Your own law decrees it,

I'm afraid.

JOSEPH:

Well, look at them.

We do look at them. The spectacle on stage has now ground to

a complete halt.

JOSEPH:

No, no, no! This is nonsense. Let me

hear the scene with the music.

ORSINI-ROSENBERG

But, Sire -

JOSEPH:

Oblige me.

Orsini-Rosenberg acknowledges his defeat.

ORSINI-ROSENBERG

Yes, Majesty.

Orsini-Rosenberg rises and goes down to where Mozart sits

anxiously with the musicians, watching his approach.

ORSINI-ROSENBERG

Can we see the scene with the music

back, please?

MOZART:

Oh yes, certainly. Certainly, Herr

Director!

He looks back deliriously at Salieri, trying to indicate his

gratitude. Salieri acknowledges with a slight and subtle

nod.

Orsini-Rosenberg returns to his king.

MOZART:

Ladies and gentlemen, we're going

from where we stopped. The Count:

Anches so. Right away, please!

The singers scatter offstage to begin the scene again.

JOSEPH:

(to Orsini-Rosenberg)

What I hoped by that edict, Director,

was simply to prevent hours of dancing

like in French opera. There it is

endless, as you know.

ORSINI-ROSENBERG

Quite so, Majesty.

CUT BACK TO Mozart at the forte-piano, raising his hands.

The musicians raise their bows. With a flourish the happy

composer begins a reprise of the scene which had been cut

out. The music of the march begins faintly; the celebrants

of Figaro's wedding start to enter as the Count and the

Countess sit in their chairs.

In the theatre we see increasing pleasure on the Emperor's

face, sullenness and defeat on the courtiers'. Then, suddenly,

without interruption, on a crescendo repeat of the march, we

CUT TO:

INT. OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780'S

The theatre is brilliantly lit for the first public

performance of Figaro. Everybody is there: the Emperor, Von

Strack, Bonno Orsini-Rosenberg, Von Swieten, even Madame

Weber and her daughters in a box. The musicians all wear

imperial livery; the actors on stage are now in costume.

Mozart, conducting, wears his Order of the Golden Spur. The

company wheels in and around to the music of the restored

march, which reaches a triumphant climax.

CUT TO:

INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823

OLD SALIERI:

(to Vogler)

So Figaro was produced in spite of

me. And in spite of me, a wonder was

revealed. One of the true wonders of

art. The restored third act was bold

and brilliant. The fourth was a

miracle.

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